Everyone can use a dose of encouragement regardless of age or how far we are on our journey.
One morning as I approached the mailboxes on the main street leading into my neighborhood, a gentleman stopped to make a deposit.
As I ran past, he kindly said, “Great job! Keep up the good work.”
I thanked him and gave a thumbs up. But, as most things do, this reminded me that whether it is running, another sport, or our faith walk with Christ, at the beginning of our training, or a seasoned vet, we can all use inspiration to keep on going, press on, don’t give up.
As I ventured further, I met two other women running in the opposite direction. As my route winds back around, our paths crossed again, only this time they were walking.
As if to justify themselves, one girl said, “It’s hot! We’re from Ohio.”
Oh well, that explains it all…buckeyes. Only kidding. I paid the encouragement forward. But this reminded me of my trip to Austria a while ago. Climate change can make you uncomfortable and disconnected when in unfamiliar territory. I was out of my comfort zone on that trip, so many miles away from home, unable to have my usual quiet time and space. I was trying to find my rhythm on a new route, with new people to meet and work alongside.
Before I left, God gave me a few images: a sundial and Russian nesting dolls. Strange right? It didn’t make sense until I struggled to find peace and saw these images in Vienna. In those moments, I knew God was still with me and that He knew I would need these reminders.
Another time, on a church summer camp excursion with middle school girls, I desperately needed some time away from the chaos to reconnect with God. So, every chance I got, I stole a few minutes away on the other side of the lake to reset, recharge, and refresh my spirit to tackle another night. We all need these times to give us the strength to pour into the lives of others and not get burnt out.
“In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength” (Is. 30:15, ESV, emphasis added).
“Encourage one another and build one another up” (I Thes. 5:11, emphasis added).
The platypus swam into my dreams a few years ago, leading me to research the creature. The design itself intrigues me. I decided to dig deeper into this bottom feeder and get insight into this remarkable mammal. Interestingly, according to LiveScience, their characteristics resemble that of many different species. Their bill and feet are like a duck, their tail is like a beaver, their feet, body, and fur resemble an otter, and their lizard legs sprawl out to the side of the body when they walk.
In addition, to this extravagant list, they are amphibious. When they are not using their webbed feet in the water to swim, they can retract the web exposing individual nails that allows them to run on land. They also lay eggs, one of only two mammals that do.
Although they do not have teeth and use their cheek pouches to hold food until they can mash it up and swallow it, they have sharp stingers on the heels of their rear feet to defend themselves, with a toxic venom that is quite effective when needed. They are non-life threatening but powerful enough to damage their victim significantly.
This hodgepodge creature has many features of other animals, but oddly enough, the familiar qualities make it unique and distinctly different from the rest. It can undoubtedly relate to the duck by how it uses its bill and webbed feet and the beaver by using its tail to maneuver through the water gracefully, and the otter and lizard by how it uses its feet to swim and run, awkward as it may be.
As children of God, we are given many distinctive qualities, although we can relate to one another because we are made in the image of our Creator. Each of us has gifts given especially to us. We have many of the same characteristics, and all of us, like sheep, have strayed away (Isaiah 53.6). God made us exactly how we are on purpose and saved us by His grace. We can accept everything just as it is – flaws and all. We see the blemishes through our eyes and want to make changes or compare ourselves with others. But if we could see ourselves as God sees us – through His love –we would be content with ourselves and thank God for each unique quality that makes us stand out from the rest.
Post a reminder on your mirror: God profoundly loves you as you are. No matter how we see ourselves, we can be confident in what God is doing in and through us. Obedience is key. We are protected by the armor of faith and love when we wear salvation’s confidence as our helmet (I Thes. 5:8, ESV).
When have you ever seen a king make his royal entrance into a town on a donkey’s colt?
Jesus’ life is marked by humility – He did not exalt Himself and rode in as a humble servant, not a royal king on a warhorse (Osborne 2014, 192). The donkey is a symbol of peace. The crowds submit to Jesus, and it is the only occasion the people accept His true identity as the Messiah. This is Jesus’ final week on earth, and He begins to reverse the Messianic secret (Osborne 2014, 189). He tolerated a brief celebration in His honor to fulfill prophecy (Zech. 9:9, English Standard Version).
The crowds begin to spread palm branches on the road, symbolic of Jewish nationalism and victory (John 11:9). Some spread their cloaks on the road. Everyone shouted, “Hosanna in the highest” (Mark 11:10), which means, please save (Ps. 118:25). It was during the Passover week celebration. They mistakenly hoped that the Messiah would liberate them from Rome’s oppression. Even though they got it wrong, and the mistaken joy of the crowd must give way to the sorrow of death before true joy could come (Osborne 2014, 189), there was no evident tension between Jesus’s Messianic identity, the disciples, and the people that day.
Mark 11:1-11 gives an overview of this triumphal entry. Still, it is in Luke’s writings that we read about an interaction between Jesus and some of the Pharisees, who asked Jesus to rebuke the disciples for shouting, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest” (Luke 19:38)! Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out” (Luke 19:37-40 emphasis added). All creation could not have kept silent at this moment in history. I love this image of the stones crying out in praise to Jesus. This is how I imagine our posture will be in heaven one day. It should be that way now as we praise Christ Jesus for what He has done and will do for us.
Jesus humbled Himself for us. He freely chose His fate – a true act of love (Osborne 2014, 189). He came in peace. We can let Jesus triumphantly enter our hearts as we shout Hosanna! His entry on a donkey instead of a warhorse shows us His love for us. All creation can praise His mighty name because He is risen – a victor over Satan, death, and sin. We are holy because He is Holy.
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13, emphasis added).
Crossway Bibles. The ESV Study Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008.
Osborne, Grant R. Mark / Teach the Text Commentary Series. Grand Rapids, Michigan : Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group, 2014.
What has 24 eyes and is strong enough to swim against the current?
This may sound like the beginning of a joke, but one of God’s creatures has both things, a box jellyfish. The description caught my eye when I read about it on Britannica.com[1]. Some of its eyes are pigment filled, allowing it to discern between light and dark, while others are called “true eyes” since they are like other animals, with a lens, cornea, iris, and retina.
The pigment-filled eyes, with the ability to discern light from dark, reminded me of Scripture about having eyes to see and ears to hear. Jesus said he entered the world to give judgment – to give sight to people who are blind and to show those who think they can see that they are blind (John 9:35-41, English Standard Version). Jesus often performed miracles to heal blind people. However, this passage talks about spiritual blindness and is not a coincidence as Jesus often used symbolism to make a point. Isaiah speaks of a light for the nations who will open the eyes of the blind and bring prisoners out of darkness, referring to Jesus (Is. 42:6-7).
Evildoers can be so blinded that their moral judgment is the exact opposite of God’s actual perspective (Is. 5:20). The Pharisees had it so backward that they accused Jesus of being a sorcerer who practiced magic by Satan’s power instead of a God performing miracles (Matt. 12:24; John 8:44; 2 Thes. 2:11). They could not discern the truth about Jesus being the light of the world (John 8:12) and instead chose to remain in darkness.
“True eyes” to see are a gift from God (Prov. 20:12). Jesus explained to His disciples why He spoke in parables – to blind those who have resisted God’s revelation and help those who believe in Him (Luke 8:9-15). It is incredible how one simple concept has a two-fold purpose that is so opposite. I once gave my ex (abuser) a devotional book called Jesus Calling by Sarah Young because this little book offered me great inspiration during my journey to learn more about Christ. I sincerely wanted him to know, too, and be changed. However, I heard through the grapevine that he said it was like Greek to him. I now relate it to the parables – he did not have eyes to see because he had rejected the truth – he chose darkness instead of light. He was spiritually blind.
The other part of this description talks about the jellyfish being strong enough to swim against the current. We must do that in today’s culture – our strength comes from God. As believers, we are called to put on the armor of God and stand firm against the schemes of the devil (Eph. 6:11). Paul exhorts the Corinthians to be on guard, stand firm in their faith, and be courageous and strong (I Cor. 16:13).
Romans 12:2, English Standard Version, says we are not to conform to this world but be transformed by the renewal of our minds. I thought The Message wording for this verse was interesting enough to share: “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” (Rom. 12:1-2, emphasis added).
God equips us to swim against the current.
Having more eyes doesn’t necessarily mean we will be able to see better, but accepting Jesus and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide our lives will help us discern the light from the dark and give us true spiritual eyes to see His truth and grow in spiritual maturity.
My auto-immune and high cholesterol issues have forced me to eat the types of food my body needs for ultimate health to lower my bad cholesterol, raise the good, and get rid of inflammation. I use the word force, but I could ignore it and keep eating foods that worsen my condition. The way I see it, food is fuel for my body. When I don’t eat healthy, I feel it. It’s like putting diesel fuel in a gasoline engine – it shuts off and sometimes causes significant damage.
Fasting is for God – eating is for us.
When God spoke to His people through the prophet Zechariah, He asked them if their fasting during the seventy years of exile was for Him. The Israelites had lost their sincere desire to have a loving relationship with God. Zechariah told them they needed an attitude adjustment – their fasting was not for repentance or worship. They weren’t thinking of God or the sins that caused their exile in the first place (Zech. 7:4, New Living Translation, Chronological Life Application Study Bible).
This passage challenges us today to ask ourselves if we have lost our zeal for God. Are we going to church, praying, and having fellowship with others out of habit or just the experience we get out of it? Does our attitude of worship reflect a genuine desire to know and love God? If it doesn’t, it will lead to ruin (Zech. 7:5-7).
Sometimes we eat junk food out of habit and don’t think about what we put in our bodies or how it will affect our overall health. It’s the same thing for what we put in our minds and allow our eyes to see. In today’s culture, we need to fast from social media and too much TV and instead spend time in God’s Word to feed our minds something healthier that will sustain us and not cause damage –not merely to memorize verses or check a box but with a genuine desire to know and love God more.
Today more than ever, kids have everything at their fingertips on their phones. Social media, internet sites, and video games have explicit content and violence. We need to protect their minds, especially at tender ages, but some of what’s out there is not fit for anyone at any age. Are we honoring God with what we put in our minds? What we read, watch, and saturate our minds with matters because it affects our hearts. Our mind, body, and spirit all work together; if one is off-kilter, they all get out of whack. God can help us re-align and add the right fuel for optimal results.
“Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be” (Matt. 6:21, NLT, emphasis added).
Today, I celebrate ten years since the tragic car accident that took my oldest sister’s life and changed mine forever. You may think my use of the word ‘celebrate’ is strange, considering it was a tragedy, but it was a much-needed wake-up call for this girl. This was not the only thing that happened that year, as some may recall.
Here’s a recap: I went into 2013 with a broken heart from leaving an abusive relationship; I fell and broke my right arm and underwent fifteen weeks of physical therapy; the accident happened one day after my last day of PT. I broke my left arm in multiple places, my back (more PT and surgeries), and my sister died 11 days after the crash. We lost Mom at the end of that year to cancer and Dad six days later, bringing my year full circle. You may also recall that we lost our oldest brother just two years before, only one day after Mom’s cancer diagnosis.
I don’t wish my year on anyone, but God used it to bring me to Himself, and true to His character, has brought good out of it a hundred-fold. I often think about other tragedies I hear about in the news and wonder how many lives God changed through them. We only hear the bad portions, but God can use them for good like He did mine. I am amazed at the changes in myself since He rescued me from my old life. I have said it before, and I will repeat it – I am in awe of my heavenly Father every day. God gave me a new perspective on everything that day. I realized I was not in control; God spared my life for a reason, and I knew I better start paying attention.
I see it as a rescue, and I thank God for that almost every day. The first time I heard Lauren Daigle’s song, “Rescue” I sobbed. The lyrics resonate entirely with me, and I still cry every time I listen to them because I know what Christ Jesus rescued me from.
God continues using my past abuse to help me relate to other women through the ministry He gifted me. I am not only learning and growing through my classes at Liberty University but have experienced much healing since I began this journey.
Looking back at how 2013 happened, without June 2nd, I wouldn’t have September 15th, which will also mark my tenth anniversary of being baptized and set free from bondage. You see, I finally released control only after the accident and asked God what He wanted for the first time—the weight I was carrying lifted immediately and transferred to His capable hands. This is why I can call it a celebration.
“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand” (Is. 41:10, New Living Translation, emphasis added).
After several neglectful years of hanging up in my garage, I began riding my bike again. I first noticed how much quicker I reached three miles than when I ran, and it made me appreciate the effort I put into my runs that much more.
But here’s the thing – it took some convincing to get me out the door and on it again. I wanted to ride it, but I kept telling myself it would be weird to ride by myself. I spent a good part of the day with the lyrics “I want to ride my bicycle. I want to ride my bike” by Queen stuck in my head, but I did nothing about it. I don’t think I have ridden alone very much, even as a child, except for the trips to and from my cousin’s house around the curve so that we could ride together.
The last time I had ridden was with my son when he lived with me, so for some reason, it just seemed strange for me to go for a ride solo. But once I finally convinced myself to do it anyway – it was so much fun! I wouldn’t have known this if I stayed in the house and let those thoughts keep me from trying.
We can miss many blessings by staying in our comfort zones and not going when and where God leads us. I am guilty of that as well, putting off that thing God is nudging me to do because it might feel strange or weird. But we’ll never appreciate the effort that goes into it or experience the joy it brings if we never do it. I am learning to listen to that still, small voice and get out of my comfort zone even when I don’t feel capable.
We are not to measure our abilities by our own strength but by the One sending us.
What is that thing you’ve been putting off that God is nudging you to do? Is it talking to that person down the street or helping that neighbor in their yard? Maybe it’s volunteering at church or visiting the local nursing home – you fill in the blanks – but know, whatever it is, getting out of our comfort zone in these areas is a good experience and will bless us way more than the other person. I bet you will even have fun!
“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (2 Cor. 12, NLT emphasis added).
“The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy” (Ps. 28:7, NLT emphasis added).
As I run or walk around my neighborhood, I have noticed most of the kids I speak to do not speak back. The other day I was walking and came face-to-face with a girl on the sidewalk. As I passed her, I smiled and said hello. She stared straight through me and never cracked a smile. I checked the mirror when I got home to make sure I didn’t have three eyes. It was refreshing the next morning when I ran past some younger kids waiting for the school bus and a little boy returned my ‘good morning’ and smiled back at me. I know it must not be the ‘cool’ thing to do, and perhaps it depends on their age, but still.
I wonder if that is how Jesus feels when we do not acknowledge His presence. Sometimes we know He is there but have a blank stare and never speak. Other times, we may not even be aware that He is with us because we are distracted by other things and the clutter of the world around us.
It made me think, is the only time we spoke to our earthly fathers as a child when we needed something or did we run to him in excitement with happy news, sharing a tidbit we learned, showing him a toy or laughing about something from our day so we could enjoy it together.
Our heavenly Father is no different, He delights when we run to Him with happy news and not just when we are pleading for help, perhaps from the mess we have gotten ourselves in. He is always there in good times and bad. Next time we feel alone and don’t have anyone to share a smile, laugh, or something we learned, (or even if you do have others to share it with) let’s try taking it to the One who delights in hearing from us. When we recognize God’s presence, speak and even smile – we can know He is smiling back, and we experience peace in His presence.
Sadly, in the broken world we live in, I realize some of you may not have experienced this type of relationship with your earthly father and it makes it difficult to see God as your Father. I am so sorry about that. But when we accept Christ and the love God has for us, and experience the abundant grace given to us by the blood of Jesus it is more than enough to fill those gaps, soothe our aching souls, and mend our shattered hearts, from whoever it was that hurt us in the past.
If you have not experienced the love your Heavenly Father has to offer because of a hurtful experience with your earthly father or someone else who was supposed to love you – please seek a Christian counselor who can help you unpack it and begin to understand how to accept a relationship with your heavenly Father – it’s life-changing. It may be hard work and painful to deal with those emotions at first, but it is worth it because you are worth it and loved immensely by the only One who can bring hope and healing to that kind of pain.
“May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ” (2 Thes. 3:5, NLT emphasis added).
“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Rom. 5:8, NLT emphasis added).
I could only imagine the dancing, laughter, and shouts of joy heard throughout heaven the day I surrendered my life to Christ. But I also thought I heard one of the angels say, “Finally!” I let my stubborn self linger in my old life way too long before I asked for forgiveness and turned the reigns of my life over to the only One who knew how to lead me on the right path and soothe all my hurts.
The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary defines repentance as “the deeply seated and thorough turning from self to God” (Brand, 2015). Furthermore, it is an experience in which we recognize God as the most critical factor in our existence. This came for me when I hit rock bottom in what some might call the worst year of my life, and rightly so. But I can now see the good God brought out of it and am grateful for the wake-up call it ignited inside my soul. It was the worst and best year of my life.
The act of repentance and forgiveness of sins wipes the slate clean to begin afresh. The first time we accept Christ and allow God to take control of our lives, the weight is lifted, and indescribable freedom ensues. Luke tells us there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than the ninety-nine righteous who need no repentance or are best understood as those who think they don’t need to repent (Luke 15:7, ESV). Repentance is not just for unbelievers or a one-time coming to Jesus moment. For believers, it is a daily conformity to the will of God where we must constantly engage in self-examination and allow the Holy Spirit to point out where we need to change to make more room for Him in our hearts.
I believed in God and Jesus; I was baptized when I was nine but didn’t know how to put Christ first in my life or that a relationship was possible. It is not about religion and checking off boxes; it is about an intimate relationship that is only possible by the grace that comes through the blood of Christ Jesus. Through this relationship, I experienced complete healing from all my past hurts and had hope for the first time. When I tried to control my life, it was a complete shamble. But God…
Justification is an act that happens in a moment, but sanctification is the ongoing process and work of God’s free grace. Our goal as saved sinners is to become like Jesus in every way (Romans 8:2, ESV). If we are on this earth, we are still sinners needing repentance. The sanctification process continues until we die; then, we will be made entirely in the image of Christ. The sanctification process begins the moment we receive Christ. If the Holy Spirit is within us, we have the assurance that Christ’s atoning work will continue to intercede for us.
We are forgiven forever by the grace of God through the blood of Jesus Christ, and He intervenes for us to the Father on our behalf. But this does not mean we can or should continue in sin. As Paul writes, this is not an excuse to continue sinning. We were buried to death in baptism just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father so that we too will walk in newness of life, set free from the enslavement of sin (Romans 6:1-4, ESV). It may seem like hard work to give up the things of comfort and our old habits, but our suffering, in this way, produces endurance, which builds character, and character strengthens our confident hope for salvation (Romans 5:4, ESV).
I was a mess when I came to Christ. I didn’t need to wait until I cleaned myself up; there was not enough soap in this world to do that. But once I surrendered everything to God, the Holy Spirit helped me by changing my heart and shaping my character.
This verse has become my daily prayer: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Ps. 51:10, ESV emphasis added). I also pray for God to reveal any areas in my life that I need to change so I can walk in step with the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:25, ESV) and align myself with His will. Working on my relationship with God improves all my other relationships and is the best decision I have ever made.
Do you have an intimate relationship with your heavenly Father? What are you waiting for? To conform our lives to Christ and put away our old selves can seem challenging, and we put it off because we aren’t ready for the change that will occur. I know because I put it off, and at one time, I wouldn’t even take the abusive relationship to God in prayer because I wasn’t ready for Him to change it. I was gripping it with white knuckles. That is until I realized God wanted a better life for me. One I couldn’t see for myself. We tend to stay where it is familiar, even if the situation is terrible but take it from me, I am grateful I took that one step of faith towards God. As soon as I did, He scooped me up in His arms like the long-lost sheep and probably said, “Finally! Come home, my daughter; you are safe now.”
If your life is anything like my old life – knowing what I know now – I would run to Him! It is your choice, but know this…God loves you fiercely and wants the very best for you. In my book, Jesus Christ is the very best.
I woke yesterday morning at 3 AM to a loud pop followed by no electricity. As I lay in the dark, I thought of everything I couldn’t do when I got up – like making my usual oatmeal in the microwave and mixing my protein drink in the magic bullet. I began to wonder what I was going to eat for breakfast.
We sometimes take for granted things like electricity that make our lives easier every day until it’s not there. My strawberry jam sandwich didn’t quite satisfy like my normal oatmeal. Dressing in the dark can become guesswork in whether you put your shirt on backward until you get in the light.
When we unplug from God’s Word, we don’t realize how far we stray from His presence and light until we awaken in the dark. We can substitute the life-giving manna – the bread of life (John 6:48, ESV) – for our own concoctions that don’t satisfy or sustain us. We don’t always realize our dependency on God until we don’t feel His presence and feel like we are in the dark.
Like dressing in the dark, we can’t see how backward our ways are to God’s until we return to His light and let Him lead us and our hearts. In Isaiah 55:8, the Lord declares, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” For this reason, we need to abide in Him (John 15:4, ESV) and lean not on our own understanding (Prov. 3:5, ESV). This is a good reason to be still, listen to His voice, and ask for discernment and direction from the Holy Spirit.
At the break of dawn, as I ran through my neighborhood, I realized the power issue was isolated to just a few houses, and others around me had power. When we go out on our own without consulting God, we can feel isolated and alone, but the truth is that God is always with us. We must plug back into His wonder-working power and acknowledge that we need Him every moment.
I had the opportunity to thank the repair crew working to fix the issues – how many times do we remember to thank God for what we have instead of focusing on what we don’t have, which can lead to self-pity or complaining? We will probably not receive more until we are grateful for what we have now—just food for thought.
Faith Walk Ministries, Inc. 